Act 17: A Duel
by The Admiral
Summary: Another showdown with Swartzvald...who will emerge the victor? Who will emerge...at all??? Something went wrong the first time, but i fixed it! chapter one is now the right chapter!
1. Part One

As with everything, I don't own any characters or the show etc etc etc.  
I'm not making any money with this, and I have basically none, so there's no point in sueing. You've all seen this before, so you get the pic.  
  
  
  
Act 17: A Duel  
  
  
With a rumble like thunder, but coming up instead of down, Big O erupted through the pavement not three city blocks from the Paradigm Corporate Headquarters. Not wasting any time, the Megadeuce strode resolutley down the street, ignoring the mid-day traffic that swerved to avoid its feet.  
  
Roger Smith sat alone in the cockpit, his eyes locked on the building where his target waited. Alex Rosewater, CEO of the Paradigm Corporation, the single most powerful man in the entire city, and slayer of his only family.  
  
Some twenty years ago, Rosewater had both of Roger's parents, his father Jonathan and the original Dorothy Waynewright, burned to death in their own home. He had been trying to wrestle the location of Big O from Roger's father, who had piloted the Megadeuce at the time of the Event. Jonathan, however, had known that if Rosewater were to get his hands on a functional Megadeuce, that Paradigm City would be heading towards a repetition of the same Event that had devastated it the first time.  
  
When Jonathan would not talk, Rosewater began to use threats, and even force, to try and wrench the secret from him. After even those failed, he had Jonathan and his wife killed and their 2-year-old son, Roger, placed in a program that would extract subliminal memories about the Megadeuce from his young head. That project had failed, however, and Roger had gone out into the world with no memory of his parents, his father's secret, or of their fate.  
  
Now, with the information that Angel and then Dorothy had uncovered, he knew who was responsible for shredding his childhood. Even though he had no actual memories of his father and mother, their love was deeply engrained in the back of his soul. His one chance at what might pass for a normal life in this city had been destroyed by a man who would not let the past die. He could not, now that he had the knowledge, let their murderer live free. He fully intended to kill Alex Rosewater, even if he had to tear Paradigm HQ apart, even if he and Big O were destroyed in the process.  
  
He suddenly spotted the Gryphon, his car, swerve into his path from a side street. Norman and Dorothy climbed out, directly in front of Big O's massive feet. He saw them, acknowledged their prescence, and then dismissed it. A lengthening of Big O's stride passed them and the car without damage. Only one block to go...  
  
  
Dorothy and Roger watched the Megadeuce simply step over them and continue on towards the monolithic skyscraper at the end of the road. Even if he did kill Rosewater, the chances of him emerging intact afterwards were slim. The Military Police were no doubt alread closing on their location at this moment. "Well, what are we going to do now, Norman?"  
  
Norman regarded Big O's backside with his one good eye. "I do not know, Miss Dorothy. I only hope that Miss Angel's plan works."  
  
Dorothy turned from the black Megadeuce, and looked up towards the sky...  
  
...Where a large, red shape was resolving itself and hurtling towards the dome. Big Duo, with Angel at the controls, was rocketing downwards at a dangerous speed. For the second time in its career, the airborne robot smashed through the dome, heading straight for Big O. Angel hit the radio. "Roger, do you hear me? It's not worth it!"  
  
Big O continued forward.  
  
"That place is built like a fortress, you'll never come out alive!"  
  
Only a few hundred feet to go...  
  
"Fine, then, guess I'll have to do things the hard way!"  
  
Big Duo turned in its flight, dropping like a stone. At the last possible second, Angel flipped it upright, coming to a rest in front of Big O and blocking its path. The black Megadeuce stopped mere yards from the other's chest.  
  
"I agree, Roger, every lapdog has his day, but believe me, Today is not yours! You go in there swinging, and you will not come out. Trust me, I've seen it from the inside."  
  
No response.  
  
"I thought you only looked out for yourself, Miss Angel." Roger was finally using the radio again. A good sign, but this was not over yet.  
  
"I guess some of you rubbed off on me. By the way, what happened to your being a gentleman?"  
  
"How do you mean?"  
  
Angel chuckled. "It's not very gentleman-like to kill a single man with a Megadeuce, is it? Hardly gives him a fighting chance."  
  
Roger knew that Rosewater had more than a fighting chance, but he listened. "What do you propose? You think if I ask nicely, he'll come out here so I can kill him face-to-face?"  
  
Angel had an inspiration. "We could try. An old-fashined duel, something they had before the Event. Both of you, even odds, no interference."  
  
"A quaint idea, I'm sure. But only one person can bring down this corrupt city, and it will not be Roger Smith today!"  
  
Roger and Angel both knew that voice. "Swartzvald!" 


	2. Part Two

As with everything, I don't own any characters or the show etc etc etc.  
I'm not making any money with this, and I have basically none, so there's no point in sueing. You've all seen this before, so you get the pic.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Where is he? I can't see him!" Angel was scanning the tops of nearby buildings, searching for the deranged reporter.  
  
"Not up, my dear! Down, from the depths of the earth!"  
  
The ground began to rumble, and a huge fist rose from beneath Big Duo's legs, throwing it off balance. The head clipped the Paradigm Building as it fell.  
  
Angel was still looking out the viewport. "Oh no, not another one!"  
  
For in the place of Big Duo, a third Megadeuce was rising. Roger reckognized it from one of the visions that had plauged him since his run-in with Red Destiny. It, too was built along the same lines as Roger's machine, and bore some resembelances to Angel's as well. Smooth lines melded with armor plating, and an odd cylinder-shaped head capped it. Neither had any idea where Swartzvald had found it.  
  
"Time for a rematch, Roger Smith! Prepare to cower before the might of Triple-O!" raved Swartzvald. The other robot moved towards Big O, which was already moving back to give itself fighting room in this narrow street.  
  
"Out of my way, Swartzvald! I haven't got time for your games today!"  
  
"Oh, you'll make time! Or you shall perish!" The third Megadeuce drew back its right arm, and the fist withdrew into its wrist and was replaced by a large blade. The robot lunged at Big O, but the attack was blocked by one of the forearm armor plates. Roger brought the other arm into an uppercut, slamming into "Triple-O's" face. The robot stumbled, but regained its balance and fired with its eye lasers into Roger's viewport.  
  
The armor held, but Roger was blinded. When the light faded, Swartzvald's machine was right on top of him, blade hurtling down towards Big O's head. He brought his arm up and actually caught the weapon in his hand, but could not force it back. The other Megadeuce applied more and more pressure to its arm. Big O started to falter, then Roger found his footing and pushed back. It seemed to be a stalemate until Swartzvald revealed a rack of missiles in his robot's chest panels, which he promptly fired at point blank range.  
  
"You are no match for me, corrupt Paradigm lapdog!" the bandaged man cried as Big O fell backwards, the frontal armor smoking.  
  
"Is that the best you can do?" The Black Megadeuce rose, and opened its own missile racks. "At least I can come up with original taunts! Take this, you dillusional conspiracy freak!" Roger fired all of his rockets at once, but Swartzvald's robot merely stumbled, then regained its footing. The grey-blue machine brought both arms up, and two rings of missiles came out just before the elbows.  
  
"I'm just getting started!" Swartzvald tightened his grip on the control stick, preparing to fire...  
  
!!SLAM!!  
  
..and took a heavy blow from behind, followed by several more. Big Duo had risen, and was pounding into him with rockets. "So, it takes two of you to turn the odds? Well, think again!" One of the arms rotated backwards, and he fired both sets, one towards Roger and another towards Angel.  
  
Big Duo blasted off, and the missiles detonated in the exhaust. Big O took the volley in the chest, falling, falling...  
  
Roger's robot smashed into the street, and kept falling! The black Megaduece plummeted into an underground dome, like the one where he had confronted Swartzvald and fought the prototype Megadeuce. Big O landed flat on its back, throwing Roger around in the cockpit. On the city street above, Swartzvald turned to watch Big Duo come about for a strafing run. "Not today, dearest!" His robot almost ran forward, and leaped through the same hole that Big O had fallen through. 


	3. Part Three

As with everything, I don't own any characters or the show etc etc etc.  
I'm not making any money with this, and I have basically none, so there's no point in sueing. You've all seen this before, so you get the pic.  
  
  
  
Big O was flat on its back. No doubt some of the robot's systems were damaged, but all Roger wanted now was for it to be able to stand. That alone would give him some chance...  
  
The cockpit shook violently as the "Triple-O" that Swartzvald was piloting dropped down not far from him. IT turned slowly, then spotted him and his fallen Megadeuce. Roger could almost swear the thing was smiling as it approached, slowly, casually, with the attitude that it had already one, and this was just a confirmation of that victory.  
  
It had another thing coming.  
  
Roger lifted Big O's right arm and fired off the piston into the ground, at an angle, and in Triple-O's direction. The blast sent shockwaves through the ground which toppled the advancing robot, landing it flat on its back as well.  
  
Big O climbed clumsily to its feet, taking full advantage of its enemy's fall. The Megadeuce stumbled forward, and caught the rising Tripl-O full on its shoulder. Roger kept up speed, ramming both of them into the wall of the cavern. He then proceeded to pound hes foe, huge hammerblows with each fall of the titanic fists, striking again and again on the hardened armor.  
  
Swartzvald brought his right arm up and cracked Big O across the face, throwing the damaged robot back a step. He again extended the huge, blade-like weapon from the right arm, and advanced menacingly. Roger, desperate for some sort of weapon, looked up at the cavern wall. A portion of it had nearly caved in...  
  
Without warning, Big O fired one of the grappling hooks on its hips, sending it streaking in Triple-O's direction. The Megadeuce ducked, and it shot past over its shoulder. Swartzvald merely laughed. Then, the chain grew taught as the hook imbedded itself in the cavern wall and Roger began to real in the line. Triple-O turned towards the wall, and was caught full-on as a huge portion of it collapsed and an avalanche of dirt and concrete came tumbling down.  
  
"Noooooooooooo!!!!!" Swartzvald cried as his Megadeuce was buried once more. "Not again!!!"  
  
"When will you ever learn?" Roger admonished from his seat. He looked up in dismay, however, as even more of the ceiling began to collapse. Big O turned and ran, but a chunk of concrete half a city block wide came down on its back, followed by tons of dirt and then, eventually, the buildings that had rested atop. The entire area around the site of the final battle became an immense sinkhole, leaving Dorothy and Norman standing on the edge in shock. Big Duo came to a landing behind them. Big O crumpled beneath the onslaught, falling, falling, falling...  
  
"No...it cannot be...it cannot!!" Dorothy walked forward in a daze, lowering to her knees as the smoke cleared.  
  
There was no sign of Roger, Swartzvald, or either of their Megadeuces.  
  
"Oh sweet mother of-" Angel was likewise stunned. The three of them, butler, android, and Megadeuce, stood there for what seemed an eternity. Then, something stirred in the rubble. Dorothy stared at the movement expectantly, only to be rewarded with Triple-O, badly damaged, climging out of the debris. It gave them and Big Duo a look, then stumbled off towards an intact side tunnel.  
  
Dorothy stared after it, her hands clenched into fists at her side. One reached out to pick up a brick and crushed it instantly. As the wounded Megadeuce vanished into the tunnels, she stood and turned towards the one remaining robot behind her. Her eyes focused on the cockpit, where she knew Angel would be.  
  
"He is gone...I cannot believe...that..that THING!!!" Pure malice rung in her formerly emotionless voice. "You must help me, Angel...you must...for....Roger..." and then the strain was too much on her circuts, and she collapsed.  
  
Angel, herself stricken with emotion, stared down as Norman picked up the android's inert form, and gave a slow, solemn nod. Her eyes gazed at the desolation that had been the middle of the city, and she knew that this would doom Paradigm. For with Roger gone, only she and Big Duo were left to stand in Alex Rosewater's path. She was not sure she was up to the task, alone...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Send in reviews. Almost all the ones I have recieved so far have been positive, and to those few that were not I have tried to appease their senders. The next few episodes will be very interesting... 


End file.
